To observe living tissues or organs in living bodies that are too large to be put on a slide under a microscope, an endoscope or a laparoscope can be inserted through an existing cavity or through a small incision in the living body. Laparoscopes are currently used to provide surgeons with vision needed to perform minimally invasive surgery, such as removing a gall bladder or an appendix. For such surgery, a laparoscope is inserted through a first small incision while surgery, such as an appendectomy, is performed through a second small incision.
Both endoscopes and laparoscopes provide a beam of light and receive light reflected from an observed area to form an image that is provided on a video monitor. While such reflected light can provide a surgeon, scientist, or other user with vision of the specimen under observation, the image provides little macroscopic or microscopic information about the integral composition or properties of the specimen itself.